A Matter of Trust
by BettyHall223
Summary: Jack's friends encourage him to stop Sam's wedding.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are not my property. No copyright infringement is intended._

_Flashbacks are in italics._

The snow was falling heavily as the car in front of him skidded, so he gently touched the brakes to slow down to avoid hitting the car. The driver regained control of the vehicle and proceeded slowly down the highway.

He did not want to be out on a night like this, especially when he thought about where he was going. He'd much rather be at home with a fire in the fireplace, his shoes off and his feet propped up, watching an Avalanche game.

He turned up the heat in the truck and since he still had further to go, he turned on the radio to an oldies station. The DJ was saying that if you didn't have to be out tonight, then don't be out in this weather.

"Don't I wish" he mumbled.

So here he was, on his way to a party that he knew would not be fun, trying to act normal was not going to be easy. He wished he had a really good excuse not to show up, but this was Carter's engagement party.

His mind wandered back to the day when a nervous Sam entered his office and handed him an envelope.

_Trying to look nonchalant but with his heart beating a mile a minute, he took the card from her, thinking it was probably a wedding invitation. Instead, it was an invitation to her engagement party, which was almost as bad._

_"You will come, won't you, sir?"_

_He noticed her hands trembling and she suddenly put them behind her back._

_Right now would be a good time for Thor to suddenly beam him away. "I'll try to, Carter" was the only thing he could think of to say._

_He laid the card down on top of the stack of papers on his desk._

_Sam just stood there, staring at him._

_He finally looked into her eyes. "Was there something else?"_

_"Uh, no, sir. I hope you'll come, sir." She quickly turned and closed the door behind her._

_He released the breath he was holding and watched through the window as she hurried down the stairs. He dropped his pen, put his elbows on his desk and buried his face in his hands._

He remembered the day of the zatarc test, when they had revealed their feelings for each other and Martouf had died. The team had met with General Hammond to discuss the day's events. The General knew that Sam was upset as she sat with her head down and stared at her hands. A few minutes into the meeting, General Hammond dismissed her to go home. She pushed her chair from the table, hurried out of the room, and the debriefing proceeded without her.

After their confessions that day, he thought about dropping by her house that night, but knew she was upset about Martouf, so he thought she would probably want to be alone. He had gone on home thinking about how much he wanted to be with Sam. He had wished so many times that he had told her that he didn't want to leave it in that room, that he wanted to find a way for them to be together. He had thoughts of retiring but knew he would miss being with his team and knew that Hammond would not let him resign. He didn't want to give up the fight against the Goa'uld and knew Sam wouldn't either. They both knew that the stargate program was the only line of defense protecting Earth and he knew that both his, and especially Sam's, expertise were needed. He wasn't about to ask her to transfer to another team or leave the Air Force, he respected her too much to risk her career.

For a few weeks after the zatarc test, he and Sam had been a little tense around each other but tried to act as if their feelings had not been revealed. They both tried to go on as if nothing had happened.

Then the day came when he found out that Sam was seeing Pete. He stood in the elevator and listened to her humming, and even though she said it was nothing serious, he had felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach. He hurried off the elevator as soon as the doors opened and since then, their friendship had not been the same.

Until then, he had felt that when the fight with the Goa'uld was over, he and Sam would make a life together. He would have spoken to her to see if she still had feelings for him. He would have turned down the promotion to Brigadier General and would not have accepted taking over as commander of the base if Pete had not come into the picture. It had hurt him deeply when she announced their engagement. He could not yet see himself retiring to his cabin and living a miserable, lonely life without her, so he accepted the promotion and was now running the base. But he hadn't known what a huge responsibility it would be to be in charge of so many lives. He hated sitting behind a desk, the endless paperwork, dealing with the President and the Pentagon, and not getting to go off-world any more. He didn't know if he could take seeing Sam every day when she became Mrs. Shanahan. Maybe it was finally time for him to retire.

Sam had invited Pete to a few team nights so that he, Daniel and Teal'c could get to know Pete better but knowing about the background check, and the more time he spent with Pete, the more he distrusted him. He wanted Sam to be happy but he didn't feel that Pete was the right man for her, not that anyone would ever be good enough for her. He had always been very perceptive at reading people, and when he had seen Sam and Pete together, he felt that Pete was trying to control her. Sam was a very independent woman and he knew that no man would control Samantha Carter. He didn't understand why she couldn't see what Pete was doing. But he knew he had no claims on her and knew he didn't have any right to tell her how to live her life. Sam knew that Pete had done a background check on her. That right there should have been enough proof that he didn't trust her. He didn't think it was like Sam to just ignore something like that. Was she so desperate for a relationship that she just overlooked that fact?

He had long ago admitted to himself that he loved her. God help him but he did. There wasn't any use denying it and he knew that Pete suspected that he loved her. He could see the look of satisfaction on Pete's face whenever the wedding was mentioned. The look that said 'stay away, O'Neill, I'm the one she agreed to marry.'

He just wanted to punch him.

He remembered a conversation with Daniel the day that Sam had invited him to the party.

_Daniel entered his office, sat down across from him and held up the invitation that Sam had just given him. Daniel stared at him without saying anything._

_"What?"_

_"Why don't you do something about this?"_

_"About what?"_

_Daniel rolled his eyes. "Don't play dumb with me, Jack. About Sam. She shouldn't be with Pete. You know it, I know it, Teal'c knows it, even General Hammond knows it. Are you going to put a stop to this wedding or not?"_

_He stood up, put the palms of his hands flat on his desk and leaned over to look Daniel in the eyes. "She has made her decision, Daniel. She accepted Pete's ring. I can't do anything to change her mind."_

_Daniel's eyes got really big as he stood, stared back at him and put his hands on his hips. "Have you even tried?"_

_"It isn't my place."_

_Daniel threw up his hands. "We both know what Pete's like, Jack. Are you just going to let her ruin her life and marry this guy that doesn't deserve her?"_

_"I don't like it any more than you do, but what am I supposed to do? Drop to my knees and beg her not to marry this jerk? She has to see for herself that he's wrong for her. If I try to interfere it may totally backfire and then she'll never speak to me again. I don't want to risk losing her friendship. I still have that, at least."_

_He sat back down in his chair._

_Daniel crossed his arms. "Do you really love her, Jack, like I think you do?"_

_He sat there for a few moments. "Yes, I do. But what am I supposed to do about it? I'm her commanding officer. As long as she's leading SG-1, I will always be her commanding officer. I can't retire yet, Daniel, the President and Hammond won't let me. I have nothing to offer Sam."_

_"Nothing but your love, Jack, and she would take that in a heart beat if you would just let her know how you feel."_

_He sat silently._

_Daniel sat back down. "Look, I love Sam like a sister and I don't want her to marry Pete any more than you do. I've thought about saying something to her myself. But you are the one person who can really stop this wedding. I'm pretty certain she loves you too. Teal'c and I see the way she looks at you. She's uncertain how you feel about her. She's settling, Jack. She thinks she can never have you so she's taking what's offered. That's why you need to say something to her and soon. You have to find a way to work this out . . . for both of you."_

Jack came back to the present as he realized he was at Sam's house. There were lots of cars and he finally found a place to park.

He pulled up the collar of his jacket against the biting wind as he stepped out of the truck and slowly made his way up the icy sidewalk. He climbed the steps, rang the doorbell and Sergeant Siler answered the door.

"Hello, sir."

"Siler, how ya doin'?"

"Fine, sir, and you?"

"Just peachy. Lovely weather we're having."

Siler smiled at the sarcastic remark.

Jack glanced around the room and recognized some people from the base. There were several people he didn't know and thought they must be Pete's friends.

Sam saw Jack come in. He was wearing black slacks and a gray pullover sweater with his black leather jacket. Her heart skipped a few beats, thinking how very handsome he looked.

Jack entered the kitchen and she smiled at him.

"Sir, I'm so glad you came."

"Wouldn't miss it, Carter" he lied as he grinned at her while wishing he could sink through the floor. He stared at her for a few seconds. She was dressed in a light blue turtleneck and a pair of gray slacks that showed off her long legs.

"Could I take your jacket, sir?"

"Uh, sure."

He removed his jacket as Sam pointed to a small table. "There are drinks over there. I'll put your jacket on the bed with all the others."

He walked to the table and started to pick up something with alcohol, then changed his mind. Although he hated to be here, he was not about to drink more than he should, especially when he had to drive home in the snow, so he poured himself a glass of punch.

As he stood there, he chatted with several people. He glanced at Sam as she talked with one of her lab assistants. It wasn't often that he got to see her out of her uniform or BDU's. Tonight her hair was curlier and she was wearing more make-up than usual. She looked very feminine and beautiful.

Then he heard the one voice that he didn't want to hear and the face he definitely didn't want to see.

"Looks good, doesn't she?" Pete asked as he walked up beside him.

Jack took a sip of the punch and didn't bother to turn his head or respond. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack could see the grin on Pete's face.

"I'm one lucky man. Won't be too long now until we're married. Will you be coming to the wedding?"

Jack wanted to slap that silly smirk right off Pete's face.

"Probably. I want her to be happy."

Pete lowered his voice. "I'm sure you do. You love her, O'Neill. You just wish she was with you. I've seen the way you act around her. I've seen the way you stare at her. You want her all to yourself. But lucky for me, you can't do anything about it since you're her CO. After all, there are those Air Force regulations to think about so I think you should consider that and keep your relationship on a professional level."

Sam was watching as Jack looked down at the glass he was holding and spoke softly. "If getting married to some low life like you makes her happy, then so be it. She's a grown woman so she makes her own choices." He turned to face Pete and stared into his eyes. "But let me tell you something. If you ever, ever hurt her in any way, I'll make you so sorry you'll wish you had never heard my name, let alone met me and I also know lots of ways to maim you."

Jack didn't wait for a response but walked off into the living room.

Pete narrowed his eyes and stared at Jack for a few seconds, then turned to see Sam looking at him and he smiled at her.

Sam frowned. She knew that Jack didn't like Pete and knew he didn't trust him. He had been with General Hammond when they had told her about the background check. She had tried to tell herself that Pete was just curious, nothing more. She had tried to overlook the fact that he could have gotten people injured or killed when he had interrupted their surveillance of Osiris. Instead, it had been Pete that was injured.

She was brought out of her daydreaming by Daniel.

"You okay, Sam?"

"Uh yeah, sure, why wouldn't I be?"

"You just look a little distracted."

"I'm fine."

Someone in the living room got everybody's attention and asked Pete and Sam to join him as everyone became quiet.

"For those of you who don't know me, I'm Pete's brother, Mike, and I'll be best man in their wedding. I want to make a toast to the happy couple. Please raise your glass to Pete and Sam."

Sam looked at Jack, Daniel and Teal'c. Jack didn't raise his glass but stared at the floor. Daniel didn't have a glass but he looked uncomfortable as he wrapped his arms around himself and looked like he would rather be somewhere else. The expression on Teal'c's face said that he was not enjoying this moment.

Sam wasn't sure what to think of her three closest friends' behavior.

Just then, everyone turned as they heard the front door open and in walked Cassie. She froze as she stopped to see that everyone was looking at her.

Sam grinned and went to give her a hug. "Hi. I wasn't sure you could get here in this weather."

"I wanted to see you, Sam, so here I am."

Everyone went back to talking as Jack, Daniel and Teal'c came over to speak to Cassie and she gave each of them a hug.

"How's college?" Daniel asked.

Cassie grinned. "Great. I'm really enjoying my classes."

Someone called to Sam from the kitchen so she went to find out what they needed.

Cassie glanced around the room and noticed that Pete was looking at Jack.

"Why is Pete staring at you?" she asked under her breath.

"We had words."

Cassie raised her eyebrows.

"I told him he better treat Sam right or he'd be sorry, or something to that effect."

"I take it he didn't like being threatened?"

Jack looked down at his empty glass. "No."

Teal'c stepped in front of them and blocked their view of Pete.

"Is there not something we can do, O'Neill, to stop this impending marriage? I do not feel that Pete Shanahan is the right mate for Colonel Carter."

"Neither do I, Teal'c" Cassie agreed and Daniel nodded his head in agreement.

They all stared at Jack.

"What do you want me to do about it?"

Cassie sighed and rolled her eyes. "You know what to do, Jack, and you're going to be sorry if you don't do something soon." Cassie stalked off into the kitchen with Daniel and Teal'c following.

Jack let out a sigh, closed his eyes for a moment, then looked up to see Pete still staring at him.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Jack mingled for awhile then sat down on the sofa. He glanced at his watch every few minutes to see if he had stayed an acceptable amount of time before he could tell Sam that he was leaving. Just as he was about to find Sam to tell her good night, she sat down beside him.

"Are you enjoying the party, sir?"

"It's been nice, but I'm rather tired. I think I'll go now." He started to stand but Sam put her hand on his arm.

"Sir, did Pete say something to upset you? I saw you talking with him."

"Pete always upsets me, Carter, but you should know that by now." He started to stand again but Sam grasped his arm.

"What does that mean?"

Jack looked into her eyes. "I don't trust him. I don't think he's the right man for you, but this is your decision."

"And I suppose you think you know who the right man is for me?"

Jack didn't hesitate. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. But if you haven't figured that out by now, then you never will."

They stared at each other for a few moments.

Jack pulled his arm from her grasp, stood up and went to get his jacket as Daniel followed him into the bedroom.

"Jack, are you all right? You look upset."

"Let it go, Daniel."

Jack found his jacket, put it on and just as he got to the front door, Pete stepped in front of him.

"Leaving so soon, General?" he asked with that smirk that Jack hated.

"Get out of my way, Shanahan" he said in a low voice and stared into his eyes.

Sam saw them and quickly came to where they stood as she tried to stop what she suspected could become a bad situation.

Sam smiled at Jack. "Sir, I'm glad you came. Please drive carefully."

Jack stared at Pete. "I will, Carter."

Pete stepped out of the way.

Jack opened the door, walked quickly through the snow, unlocked his truck and got in. He put his hands on the steering wheel and gripped it as hard as he could and tried to breathe slowly. He had practically told Sam that he thought he was the right man for her. Should he regret saying it? Maybe, but maybe not. It would give her something to think about.

He sat there for a few minutes until he felt he was calm enough to drive without being a danger to himself or someone else. He started the truck and slowly pulled out onto the road as the snow came down heavily.

He turned up the volume on the radio and listened to a song he had not heard in a long time; a song about losing someone you love to someone else. He thought how relevant the song was to Sam and himself.

The lights on the highway blurred as tears suddenly filled his eyes and he used the back of his hand to brush away the moisture.

'Get a grip, Jack' he said to himself as he turned off the radio.

**§§§**

Back at Sam's house, Sam turned to Pete and frowned. "What happened between you two?"

"Nothing, sweetie" he said with a grin.

"You must have said something to upset him, Pete."

Pete raised his voice. "Hey, I didn't do anything. Why are you taking up for him and blaming me?"

People turned to stare as Teal'c walked up to them. "Is there a problem, Colonel Carter?"

She smiled a tight smile at her friend. "Uh, no, no problem, Teal'c."

Teal'c stood there for a few seconds, then walked away.

Sam folded her arms. "We'll discuss this later."

"There's nothing to discuss."

"Oh, I think there is."

Everyone soon started to leave when they realized that the snow showed no signs of stopping.

After everyone had left, Cassie helped Sam clean up as Pete sat on the sofa and sulked. She ignored him as she carried the last of the dishes into the kitchen and put them in the dishwasher.

Cassie yawned. "Think I'll go to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

Sam gave her a hug. "I'm glad you arrived safely. Sleep well."

Cassie took a few steps, then turned around and walked back to Sam.

"I think we need to talk."

"About what?"

"It can wait until tomorrow."

Sam heard Cassie close the door to the bedroom as Pete came into the kitchen. She finished wiping off the counter and put the paper towel in the trash.

Pete stared at her. "Okay. You wanted to talk."

Sam leaned against the counter. "I want to know what you and General O'Neill were discussing."

"I was just giving him a warning to stay away from you."

Sam's eyes grew big. "Why should he stay away from me?"

Cassie heard them arguing and stepped into the hall to listen.

Pete chuckled and put his hands on his hips. "You really don't get it do you, Sam? The man is in love with you."

She took a step toward him. "He is not, Pete. He's my commanding officer and he's also a very good friend. That's all."

Pete shook his head. "You don't see the way he looks at you when he talks to you? He stares at you when you're not looking. It's written all over his face. I've seen how he acts around you when I've been with him, Teal'c and Daniel."

"No, Pete, you're wrong about that. He's just a good friend."

"No, I'm not wrong. He doesn't like me because he's jealous. I have the one woman he wants and he knows he can't have you."

"Pete, General O'Neill and I are very close, I admit that. We've been through some very horrendous things together over the years. We've saved each other's lives countless times. I admire and respect him. He's a wonderful man."

"Oh, I'll just bet he is. These trips you take through the stargate, when you had to spend the night, are you sure that you didn't shack up together? Maybe that's how you keep getting promoted."

Cassie crept closer to the kitchen and waited for Sam's response.

Sam's eyes grew wide and she clenched her fists as she stared at Pete. "If you think for one second that I got my promotions by sleeping with the General, then you don't know me or trust me at all. This conversation is absurd."

Sam started to walk past him, but Pete grabbed her hand and yanked it to turn her around to face him and he squeezed her wrist.

"You're hurting me! Let me go!"

Pete raised his other hand as if to hit her.

Cassie came around the corner. "Stop it!"

Pete quickly turned to see Cassie and lowered his hand.

Sam pulled her arm away and began to rub her wrist as tears stung her eyes.

Pete glared at Cassie. "And what do you want?"

Cassie glared right back with hatred in her eyes. "You're an idiot!"

Pete smirked. "Since you know O'Neill and Sam so well, you probably already know that they've slept together and you know that he loves her, don't you?" he said snidely.

Cassie was never one to back down from anyone and usually said what she was thinking. She walked up slowly to Pete and stared right into his eyes. "Let me tell you something. Yes, Jack cares about Sam. He admires her intelligence, he respects her as a woman and a soldier, he respects her career, he accepts her the way she is. He doesn't try to mold her into what he wants her to be, like you're trying to do. Jack O'Neill is more of a man than you'll ever be. If he knew that you had just hurt Sam, he would beat the crap out of you, and then, with a little help from his friends, throw you through the stargate to the farthest planet in this galaxy, where no one would ever find you!"

Their faces were now just inches apart. "And I guess you'll just tell him, won't you?"

Cassie put her hands on her hips. "And what are you going to do if I do? Get your gun and shoot me?"

Sam stepped closer to them. "That's enough! Pete, I think you should leave."

Pete stood there for a few moments as if trying to decide what to do, then pointed his finger at Sam. "This isn't over by a long shot." He went into the bedroom to get his coat and came back out.

Cassie and Sam watched as he slammed the door behind him.

Tears pooled in Sam's eyes as Cassie put her arms around her. In a few moments, Cassie stepped back and looked at Sam's hand.

"How's your wrist?"

Sam cradled her arm. "Hurts a little."

"Did he break it?"

"No, just sprained it."

"Sit down."

Cassie went into the bathroom, got a cold wet washcloth, brought it back and sat down beside Sam. She gently wrapped the washcloth around Sam's wrist.

"Maybe the cold will help a little."

Sam stared at her hand. "Thank you."

"Why do you put up with him? Can't you see how controlling he is?"

Sam wiped her eyes. "That's the first time he has ever done anything like that. He's usually such a sweet guy."

"Well, apparently, you're seeing a side of him you haven't seen before. If I hadn't walked in when I did, he might have hit you."

"I know."

"Has he ever raised his hand in anger to you before?"

"Never. That was the first time."

"But it probably won't be the last. Every time you mention anything about Jack, your job, any of your friends, Pete gets mad."

Sam stared at the floor.

"Daniel told me that Pete bought a house."

"Yes."

"And he didn't ask your opinion first?"

"No."

"Sam, he's trying to change you. He bought a house, he's the one that set the wedding date, he wants you to quit the Air Force. How can you let him do all these things when you don't agree with any of them?"

"I'm not leaving the Air Force, Cassie, I've already told him that."

"But he wants you to be home more often. He knows that you don't always know how long you'll be off-world. What's he going to do when that happens? Go to the SGC and demand that Jack send out a team to track you down?"

Sam didn't answer.

"Pete really has a temper. It's going to get to the point that he won't let you talk with any of your friends. He really has a problem with control and he's so jealous."

"Just about the General" Sam whispered.

"Pete is right about one thing."

Sam looked at Cassie. "What's that?"

"That Jack loves you."

"Cassie, we're just good friends."

She put her hands on Sam's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Sam, Jack IS in love with you. We all know it. Daniel, Teal'c, General Hammond. Mom certainly knew. She and I talked about you and Jack a lot before she was killed."

Sam's eyes grew wide.

"Don't look so surprised. Surely you knew, just a little, that he has feelings for you."

"I guess."

"And you have feelings for him too, if you'd just admit it."

"We can't love each other, you know that. He's my commanding officer."

"Yeah, yeah. Air Force rules and regulations. Dumbest thing the military ever did, in my opinion."

Sam started to say something but Cassie held up her hand to stop her.

"I know, I know. The rules are there for a reason. But if you ask me, it's a dumb reason. What gives the military the right to say who you can and cannot fall in love with? You and Jack would be a great couple, Sam. The SGC needs both of you and neither of you should have to give up your careers to be together. It's stupid!"

"Cassie, whether Jack and I agree with the regulations or not, they're there. We can't ignore them. If we had a romantic relationship while he's my CO, it could lead to court martial for both of us."

Cassie sighed. "Answer one question for me, and think about it before you answer, because I don't want you to lie to me."

"Okay."

"Are you in love with Jack?"

Sam started to open her mouth then closed it and stared at her hand. "I thought I loved Pete."

"That's not what I asked. Be honest."

Sam bit her lip. "It won't do any good if I am, we can't be together."

"Have you never heard the saying 'where there's a will, there's a way?'"

Sam shook her head. "Not when you're in the military."

Cassie flopped back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling as Sam turned to face her.

"I want you to promise me something."

"What?"

"I want you to promise me that you won't tell General O'Neill what Pete did."

Cassie set up and stared at Sam as her eyes got bigger. "I won't promise that! He should know that Pete hurt you!"

"Please. This is something that Pete and I have to work out for ourselves."

Cassie stood up and shook her head. "Sam . . ."

"Please, Cassie."

"Oh, all right. I promise not to say anything to Jack. But what about Pete? Are you going to break your engagement?"

Sam just shook her head. She didn't know the answer to that question.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Sam slept very little that night, thinking about Jack, Pete, the wedding. She wondered if getting married was the right thing to do. Could she really spend the rest of her life with Pete? Could she be so blind to what her friends were so obviously aware of?

She remembered the look of anger in Pete's eyes when he raised his hand to her. She knew she could have defended herself if Cassie hadn't come into the room and put a stop to their fight. But it had shocked her that Pete would act that way in the first place when he had always been so good to her.

The next morning she was in the shower when she heard the phone ring. Cassie knocked on the bathroom door.

"Sam, Pete's on the phone."

"Tell him I'll call him back."

She got out of the shower, got dressed and went into the kitchen to see Cassie standing at the stove.

"Hey."

Cassie glanced at her. "Hey. Thought I'd make us some breakfast. You going to call Pete before we eat?"

"He can wait."

Cassie lay down the spoon on the side of the pan. "Let me see your wrist."

Sam stuck out her arm.

"It's really bruised. Does it hurt?"

"It's a little sore." Sam quickly pulled her sleeve down to cover it up.

Cassie looked at her and sighed.

Sam put bread into the toaster, buttered it and set it on the table. She poured two cups of coffee as Cassie put scrambled eggs on their plates.

"So, did you sleep well?"

"Not really. I kept thinking about how much I dislike Pete."

"Cassie . . ."

"Well, I do, Sam. The image of him raising his hand to you kept flashing through my mind. He could have hurt you."

"But he didn't."

"Not this time, but what about next time? You really think this won't happen again? You really want to have to tiptoe around him for the rest of your life, watching everything you say and do so you won't make him mad? That's no way to live."

Sam didn't respond as the two women ate in silence.

As Cassie cleaned the kitchen, Sam went into her bedroom and returned Pete's call. In a few minutes she came into the living room to find Cassie on the sofa, TV remote in hand, flipping through the channels.

"I'm going to meet Pete. I'll be back soon."

Cassie didn't look at her. "Okay."

The snow had stopped but the streets were slick, so Sam slowly made her way to a small café that she and Pete frequented quite often. As she walked in, she saw him waving to her from a booth in the back.

Pete stood up, kissed her on the cheek and hugged her before she sat down. Sam didn't say anything but stared at him.

"I'm really sorry I lost my temper. Honest."

"You had no cause to lose your temper, Pete. Whether you like it or not, General O'Neill and I are going to see each other all the time at the base, so you better get used to it. I love my job and I'm not giving it up."

"Okay. Can we talk about something else?"

"I want you to be clear about this. There will be times when I may not be home for days. There will be times when I will have to work late in my lab. Even though you know about the stargate, there are areas of my work that are classified, things that you can never know anything about, things that I cannot discuss with you. Can you live with that?"

Pete sighed. "Yes."

"You better be sure you can before we go ahead with this wedding. And one more thing."

"What?"

"If you ever raise your hand to me again like you did last night, you'll find yourself on the floor with your arms pinned behind you so fast, it'll make your head spin."

Pete looked at her without saying a word.

Back at the house, Cassie sat staring at the cell phone in her hand. She so wanted to call Jack and tell him what had happened, but she had promised Sam that she wouldn't. She only hoped that Sam knew what she was doing.

**§§§**

Even though Sunday was supposed to be his day off, Jack got dressed and went to the base anyway. He needed to stay busy to keep his mind off Sam instead of sitting at home brooding about the situation.

He arrived to find Colonel Reynolds sitting at the briefing table reading a report. The Colonel stood as Jack came up the stairs.

"Sir, you weren't supposed to be here today."

"Don't worry. I'm not here checking up on you, I just have lots of paperwork to catch up on."

"Yes, sir."

"Anything happening?"

"No, sir. Everything's quiet, has been all night."

"Good. I'll probably be here for awhile. If you want to run home and see your family, go ahead." Jack looked at his watch. "Why don't you come back about 1600."

Colonel Reynolds grinned. "Thank you, sir."

Jack poured a cup of coffee, walked over to the window and stared down at the stargate. He thought about the first time that he and Sam walked up the ramp together. She had been in such awe of the event horizon and he had pushed her through the wormhole. He knew even then that he was falling for the intelligent and beautiful scientist. It had been true what he had said, that he "adored her already."

To take his mind off of her, he sat down at his desk to tackle the endless mountain of paperwork.

**§§§**

Pete and Sam left the café.

Pete sat in his car and watched Sam pull out into the traffic. When they had first started dating, he had liked Sam's independence. But now, he wondered if he could agree with everything she said. He wanted her to be home more often, he didn't want her spending a lot of time off-world or in her lab; and he certainly didn't want her spending time with O'Neill. A smile came to his face as he thought of how he would just have to change her slowly until she became what he wanted her to be.

Sam arrived back at the house to find Cassie using her laptop.

"Doing some homework?"

"No. Nothing was on TV so I thought I'd just play for awhile until you came back."

Cassie closed her computer and stood up. "So, how did it go?"

"I think I made it clear to him that I won't give up my job and he's just going to have to accept that I'm going to be gone a lot, and he'll have to adjust to my working with the General."

Cassie stared at Sam and crossed her arms.

"What?"

"He's not going to change, Sam. Today was just a way to humor you into getting back into your good graces."

"No, I think you're wrong."

"Did he apologize for hurting you?"

Sam looked at the floor. "He said he was sorry so I took that to mean he was sorry about everything that happened last night."

Cassie picked up her computer. "I hope you know what you're doing, because I really think you're setting yourself up to be hurt even more, when you could be with someone who adores you and would never hurt you." She walked off into the bedroom and closed the door before Sam could respond.

Sam sat down on the sofa, stretched out her legs and pulled a blanket over her. She leaned her head on the back of the sofa and thought about what Jack had said to her. Did he mean that he was the right man for her, is that what he was trying to say? She had pushed her feelings for him aside for so long, it scared her to acknowledge those feelings. She had to admit that yes, she still had feelings for him but what could they do about it? He was always going to be her CO as long as she was at the SGC or unless he retired, but she couldn't see him leaving just yet. He was too valuable to the President and the Joint Chiefs, and to everyone at the SGC. He was well liked and respected and there was no one more qualified to run the base.

The thought came to her that Jack could stay as commander of the base and she could resign from the Air Force and do something else. With her doctorate degree, there were many other career opportunities. She could work as a civilian scientist, she could teach, she could do lots of things. She let her mind wander as she pictured being with Jack. Tears pooled in her eyes as she realized that she would give up the Air Force for him. She choked back the tears and reminded herself that they weren't together, that she was engaged to another man.

She sighed deeply as she thought about the wedding. Ever since she was a little girl, she felt that planning her wedding would be such a happy and exciting time. But she had to admit to herself that her heart just wasn't in it. Planning this wedding with Pete just seemed to be one big chore.

She closed her eyes and tried not to think about it.

**§§§**

Sunday afternoon, Sam hugged Cassie before she got into her car to go back to school. They had not discussed Pete or the wedding any more the rest of the day.

Monday morning as Sam got dressed, she looked at her wrist. It was still badly bruised and it hurt to bend it. She thought she probably should have Dr. Brightman look at it, but she knew she would have to lie about how she got the bruise.

As she drove to the base, she wondered how things would go today. Maybe she could just stay in her lab and not have to see Jack, but she knew she couldn't avoid him forever and she didn't want there to be any tension between them.

She noticed that the General's truck was there and she pulled into the parking space beside his.

After changing into her BDU's, she went to her lab and sat down as her mind wandered.

She and Jack had admitted their feelings over four years ago and neither one had mentioned it since. She didn't know if he was seeing anyone or not. As that thought came to mind, she realized that yes, she would be upset if he was. But since she was engaged to Pete, it was really none of her business. He was a very attractive man so how could she not expect Jack to see other women? He rarely discussed his personal life. Daniel usually knew what was going on with Jack better than anyone else, but she wasn't about to ask him and wasn't sure if she really wanted to know.

She stayed busy throughout the morning. Daniel had called and said that Jack had been in briefings with other teams and had conference calls with the President and Joint Chiefs, so Sam had not seen him.

Early that afternoon, she put her elbows on the lab table, closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Jack had been on her mind all day. How could she love Pete if she still had these feelings for Jack?

Jack stood in the doorway of Sam's lab, just watching her. She looked tired and he stared at her wrist as he took a few steps closer to her.

"Carter."

Sam jumped as she looked up to see Jack walking toward her.

"Hello, sir."

Sam quickly put her hands on her lab table and covered her right wrist with her left hand.

Jack reached out and gently lifted her arm.

"What's this?"

"It's nothing, sir. I just bumped it."

Jack could see from the look in Sam's eyes that she wasn't being honest but he decided not to push any further. He gently lowered her arm and let go.

"Well, just wanted to let you know that SG-12 came in with a few doohickeys for you and Daniel to play with. They're in Daniel's lab if you want to see them."

"Thank you, sir. I'll go do that right now."

They walked down the corridor together and got on the elevator.

"Did Cassie enjoy her weekend?"

Sam smiled. "Yes. Yes she did."

Jack nodded his head. They were both silent for the rest of the ride.

They entered Daniel's lab to see him sitting on a stool while holding a round-shaped glass object up to the light with both hands.

Sam walked up to Daniel. "What have you got there?"

"Have no idea. Has writings on it but I don't recognize the markings."

Sam held out her hands. "May I see?"

Daniel handed it to her and he saw the bruise.

"What happened to you?"

"It's nothing."

"Looks like something, Sam." He started to touch her wrist but she jerked it away.

"I said it's nothing!" she yelled as the object tilted and she tried to catch it but it hit the table, breaking into pieces. Several pieces lodged in her hand as she screamed.

Daniel had stepped back fast enough that none of the glass had gone into him.

It had all happened so quickly, Jack hardly had time to react, then he suddenly put his arm around her.

"Let's get you to the infirmary." Sam cradled her right hand in her left and Daniel followed.

Dr. Brightman saw them come in and told Sam to lie down as she and a nurse checked her hand.

Jack and Daniel sat down just outside the doors of the infirmary.

"Jack, did you see that bruise?"

"I noticed it when I saw her in her lab. She told me she bumped it."

"It went all the way around her wrist. It wasn't there Saturday night at the party, we would have noticed."

Jack rubbed his eyes. "I know."

A little later, Dr. Brightman came to talk to them.

"She'll be okay. We removed the glass, cleaned the cuts and bandaged it. I also gave her a shot to keep down the risk of infection. Since this was an alien object that broke and went into her skin, we never know what could happen. I'd like to keep her here tonight for observation.

"Good idea" Jack agreed.

"How about the bruise on her wrist?" Daniel asked.

"We put an ice pack on it."

Daniel turned to Jack as Dr. Brightman walked away. "I know that neither one of us likes Pete, but do you think he did that to Sam, or did she really bump into something?"

"I don't know, Daniel. I'll talk to her and see if she sticks to her story."

**§§§**

A little later, Jack entered the infirmary to see that Sam was asleep. He found a chair and sat down beside her. He looked at the ice pack on her wrist and her bandaged hand. He thought about what Pete had said to him and the warning he had given Pete that he had better not hurt her. If he found out that Pete had done this to her, he wasn't sure what he would do. Sam would probably tell him that it was none of his business and to stay out of it. But how could he? He would never let anyone mistreat her. He also knew that Sam was trained in hand-to-hand combat and she could take care of herself. If Pete had gotten rough with her, did she try to fight back or what had happened? He stared at her as a thought came to mind.

He went back to his office, closed the door and picked up his phone to call Cassie, but got her voice mail so he left a message to call him.

He finished one more stack of paperwork before returning to the infirmary. He came in to see that Sam was awake and he walked up beside her bed.

"You okay?"

"Yes, sir."

"What did you bump your wrist on?"

"The wall. It's no big deal. It's just a bruise."

Jack hesitated a moment.

"Are you sure that you bumped it or did someone give you that bruise?"

Sam turned her head. "I've already told you I bumped it. Now can we just drop it please, sir?"

Jack stared at her for a few moments, then walked away.

Sam turned over on her side to face the wall as she started to cry.

Jack walked into the corridor and waited. In a few moments, he peeked around the corner to look at Sam and saw that she had turned on her side and her shoulders were shaking, as she buried her face in the pillow.

'Bumped it, my eye!' Jack said to himself. 'I know exactly who gave you that bruise.'

He went back to his office and sat down in his chair, thinking that he needed to talk with Cassie to see if she knew what had really happened.

**§§§**

Before he went home for the night, Jack wanted to check on Sam one more time. As he got on the elevator, he decided not to mention her wrist.

He found her still lying on her side staring at the wall. She followed him with her eyes as he came to stand beside her.

"When you gonna spring this joint?" he asked with a grin.

Sam grinned back. "Tomorrow, I hope. I feel okay."

"Do you need anything?"

"No, sir."

"Well, I'm going home. I'll see you in the morning." He took a few steps toward the door.

"Sir?" Sam whispered as tears came to her eyes. She opened her mouth as if to say something but stopped.

He leaned over and looked at her.

"Carter?"

Sam shook her head and choked back the tears. "Nothing, sir. Just been a bad day."

Jack reached down and gently grasped her forearm.

"Get some rest."

Sam nodded her head.

He wanted to sit down beside her, take her in his arms and hold her and make her tell him that Pete had done this to her, but he couldn't.

**§§§**

Jack picked up something to eat on the way home. He entered his house, hung up his jacket and dropped his keys on the table. He went into the kitchen and put his dinner in the microwave to heat.

He sat down and turned on the TV and was glad to see that a hockey game was on.

Just as he finished eating, his cell phone rang.

"O'Neill."

"Hey, Jack."

"Cassie. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Did you need something?"

He hesitated a moment. "Cassie, Sam's been injured."

"Is she okay?"

"Yes. She was looking at an artifact that one of the SG teams brought back and she accidentally dropped the thing and it broke and some glass went into her hand, but she'll be fine. She's spending the night in the infirmary."

"Oh good, I thought you were going to tell me . . . "

"Cassie?"

"Nothing. I'm . . . I'm just glad she's okay."

"I want to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"Did Sam hurt her wrist while you were here this weekend?"

Cassie closed her eyes and bit her lip. She didn't know what to say since she had promised Sam she wouldn't tell.

"I'm . . . I don't know."

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"I can't say anything, Jack. I promised Sam and I don't want to break my promise."

"I knew it! It was Pete, wasn't it?"

"If you want to know what happened" Jack heard Cassie say as her voice broke "you'll have to ask her."

"It's okay, honey, I don't want you to betray a confidence."

"Please talk to her, Jack. Sam's like a mom to me and I don't want her to marry Pete." Cassie started to cry as she tried to talk. "I'm afraid he's going to hurt her. I tried to talk to her but . . . I can't say anything else but you need to stop this wedding and there is something you should know."

"What's that?"

"She admitted to me that she cares about you. Neither one of you is about to give up your jobs and I think she's tired of waiting. I think she feels she can never have you and that's why she accepted Pete's proposal. She doesn't want to wait any longer to have a life outside of work."

Jack rubbed his hand over his face. "I'm glad you told me."

"I have to go."

"Okay. Try not to worry. We'll work this out somehow."

"The best way for it to work out would be if you stop this wedding and marry her yourself, Jack. You need to seriously think about that. I'll call you later."

"Okay. Bye Cass."

"Bye."

Jack stared at the phone. He could feel the anger rising inside him as he stood up, walked to the window and looked outside. He just wanted to go track down Pete and punch him.

He couldn't tell Sam that he had talked with Cassie and she had not really confirmed anything but had hinted just enough that he would figure it out on his own.

He ran his hand through his hair, trying to decide what to do.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

As Jack drove to the base the next morning, he still wasn't sure if he should say anything to Sam. He wanted desperately to kick Pete through the stargate to one of those freezing planets where the temperature was way below zero. He wanted Sam to admit that Pete had hurt her, but he wondered how she would react if he brought it up.

Just as he was about to head to the infirmary, there was an incoming wormhole. He went to the control room and watched as SG-9 came through the gate. Teal'c had gone with the team and he was the last one to come through as Jack went downstairs to meet them.

Jack looked at Colonel King, the leader of SG-9.

"Colonel, report."

"Total bust as far as anything of importance to us, sir, but the locals were friendly and invited us back to visit sometime" he said with a smile.

Jack grinned. "Friendly bunch?"

"Oh yes, quite friendly. The women were most fond of Teal'c."

Teal'c slowly turned his head to look at Colonel King and raised his eyebrow.

"Have a few admirers, did he?" Jack asked.

"Oh yes, quite a few" Colonel King said with a chuckle.

Jack smiled at Teal'c. "Well, well, this should make for an interesting debriefing."

Jack glanced at the members of the team. "Okay. We'll debrief in an hour."

Colonel King and his team hurried away.

Jack put his hand on Teal'c's shoulder. "Had fun with the women did ya, T?"

"The people were most pleasant but the planet had lots of sand and much wind. I will be glad to be rid of these clothes so I may take a hot shower, O'Neill."

Jack grinned, thinking how Teal'c had avoided the question.

"Is everything going well here?" Teal'c asked.

"Colonel Carter was slightly injured. She's in the infirmary but should be out soon."

"What transpired?"

"She can tell you herself after you get cleaned up."

Teal'c nodded his head and continued down the corridor.

Jack was going to visit Sam when Walter informed him that the President was on the phone so he went back to his office to take the call. After that, he met with SG-9 for the debriefing.

He entered the infirmary to see Sam sitting on the side of the bed in her BDU pants and black T-shirt, talking with Teal'c. They both looked up as he came to stand beside them.

He smiled at Sam. "Colonel."

"Hi, sir."

"Feeling better?"

"Yes, sir. Dr. Brightman has cleared me to go back to work."

"So soon?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay then, can't have SG-1 sitting around getting bored now can we?"

Teal'c smiled. "I am most anxious to resume my duties with SG-1, O'Neill."

Jack looked at Sam. "You sure you're up to it, Colonel?"

"Yes, sir. I want to get back to work."

"I have a new planet for you to check out." He looked at his watch. "One of you go get Daniel and we'll meet in the briefing room in ten minutes."

"I will go" Teal'c volunteered.

Sam grabbed her jacket and she and Jack walked down the corridor.

"How's the hand?"

"A little sore, but it'll be okay."

"Glad to hear it." He wanted to tell her he was pretty certain that he knew how she had gotten the bruise, but now was not the time or the place.

They arrived in the briefing room and Jack went into his office to get a file. He found it, picked it up and glanced out his window. He watched as Sam sat at the table with a sad expression and gently rubbed her fingers over her wrist.

Jack took a deep breath and walked out of his office.

As soon as Sam saw him coming, she put her hands in her lap.

Daniel and Teal'c sat down and the briefing began.

Two hours later, Jack stood in the control room and looked at the gate room below. Sam looked up to let him know that they were ready to go.

The gate was dialed and Jack leaned over to talk into the microphone. "Have fun, kids."

He watched as they stepped through the event horizon.

The team arrived on the planet and looked around.

Sam checked her compass and nodded with her head. "Let's go in that direction."

Sam and Daniel walked side by side with Teal'c following. Daniel glanced at Sam and noticed that she was having trouble grasping her P-90 with her bandaged hand.

They kept walking when Daniel noticed some bright colored flowers and wandered off to get a closer look. Sam and Teal'c waited. Daniel walked even further into the flowers and stopped to pick one.

Sam clicked on the radio on her shoulder. "Daniel, come on. We need to keep going."

"I'll be right there" he answered back.

In a few minutes, he came walking back carrying a beautiful bright pink flower and handed it to Sam with a grin.

"A flower for the lady" he said with a bow.

Sam curtsied. "Oh, thank you, kind sir."

Teal'c raised his eyebrow as he watched his teammates.

They walked further and came upon a village. Several men and a few women stared at the three strangers who were dressed so differently from them.

The people wore clothes in what would be compared to Earth culture as the eighteenth century. The men wore waist coats, breeches, silk stockings and three-cornered hats. The women wore long dresses with many layers of petticoats, ruffled sleeves and caps with lace on their heads.

The team noticed that all the men carried rifles.

"Hello" Daniel said with a smile.

No one said anything but just continued to stare.

"Do you speak English?" Daniel asked.

One of the men took a step toward them. "What do you want?"

"We're explorers" Daniel continued. "We came through the stargate. We would like to get to know your people and your customs."

"We do not welcome strangers into our midst" the man said with a stern expression. He took another step and all the men raised their rifles at once, aiming them at the team.

Sam raised her hands. "Please, we wish you no harm. We will leave peacefully."

The men surrounded the team and the man that had spoken, slowly walked around Daniel, then Sam, then Teal'c, as if sizing them up.

"Take their weapons" the man ordered.

Trying not to get anyone injured or killed, Sam nodded to Daniel and Teal'c to hand them over.

A young boy stepped up beside the man. "I saw them talking to each other through those things on their shoulders."

The team looked at each other as they realized that the young boy had been hiding and watching them when Daniel had stopped to look at the flowers.

"Take those off" the man ordered and the team complied.

"Follow me" the man said.

They were taken to a large building and locked inside. The team looked around to see that the building looked very sturdy. It contained a great amount of hay on one side and straw on the other. On the opposite wall of the building were large wooden double doors. Sam went over to them and could see through the cracks that the doors were secured by large planks of wood from the outside.

Daniel sat down on a pile of hay. "Well, isn't this fun."

Sam sat down beside him. "Wonder how long they'll keep us here."

Teal'c walked around, staring at the tall ceiling and the walls. After several minutes he sat down on the other side of Sam. "I see no way of escape."

About a half hour later, Teal'c was looking out the window of the door when he signaled to Sam and Daniel that someone was coming.

They could hear someone putting a key in the door and as it opened, a man holding a rifle told them to stay back. They watched as a petite woman, dressed in drab gray clothing, came through the door and set down a tray of food and glanced at Sam. Sam smiled at the woman.

The woman stared at her for a few moments, then turned and left as the man closed the door and locked it.

Teal'c watched through the window as they went into a nearby building.

Daniel picked up the tray of food. There were slices of bread and something resembling plums and apples. There was also a pitcher of water and 3 tin cups.

Sam hesitantly chose a slice of bread, sniffed it, then took a small bite. Daniel and Teal'c watched as she chewed. She took a bigger bite. "Tastes like bread we have on Earth."

Daniel and Teal'c both chose a slice and started to eat. They decided to ration the food and water since they didn't know when they would get food again or how long they would be there.

A few hours passed and they were now growing more tired and bored by the minute.

Teal'c stood looking out the small window again as Daniel and Sam sat in the hay.

Daniel glanced sideways at Sam. "So, how's the wedding planning?"

Sam looked down and played with the bandage on her hand. "Okay, I guess."

"You don't seem too enthusiastic about it."

Sam shrugged. "Just a lot to do and not enough time to do it all."

Daniel hesitated, then decided to say what he was thinking. "You know, Sam, if you're having doubts about this wedding, don't you think you should call it off . . . or postpone it . . . or something?"

Sam quickly turned her head to look at him. "Why would I want to call it off or postpone it?"

"You just don't seem very happy and every time I mention it, you don't want to discuss it."

"You don't think I should marry Pete?"

Daniel wanted to be honest with his friend. "No, I don't, Sam. I know this is your decision but I just don't think Pete is right for you."

Sam didn't say anything, but stared at the ground.

Daniel sighed as he leaned his head against the wall.

Sam stood up and walked over to Teal'c. "Anything happening out there?"

Teal'c stepped aside so she could see for herself. A few people were coming and going.

Sam looked at her watch. They had been locked up for almost four hours.

Sam rubbed her forehead. "General O'Neill is going to be wondering where we are. I was supposed to check in an hour ago."

Daniel looked up at her. "Maybe he'll send someone after us since he won't be able to raise us on our radios."

Sam nodded her head. "Let's hope."

Two hours later, the man and woman came once again to leave more food.

"At least they're feeding us" Daniel said as Teal'c picked up the tray. It was the same kind of food they had brought them the first time.

Soon darkness came.

They heard movement outside the door and Teal'c quickly stood and looked out the window.

"It's the woman who brought the food" he whispered.

The door was unlocked, the woman quickly stepped inside and handed Teal'c a pitcher of water.

Sam stepped toward the woman. "Why are they holding us here?"

"I overheard some of the men talking. You will be sold as slaves."

"Slaves?" Daniel asked as his eyes grew wide.

She looked at Daniel. "You would probably be put to work to care for the crops."

She stared at Sam. "You would be trained as a house maid or to help in the kitchen."

She turned to Teal'c. "You would probably be put to work in the mines."

The woman glanced at all of them. "I was forced to help care for the crops for a long time. It is very hard work. I was given few clothes and was fed very little. I became sick and could work no more in the fields, so they made me work in the kitchen."

The woman began to wring her hands.

"You came here not knowing our ways. I do not wish for you to become slaves, we are not treated well."

She glanced at the door.

"It is now time for sleep. No one else should come tonight so I will leave the door unlocked. Please wait until some time has passed before you make your escape, so I will not be suspected and punished."

Sam nodded her head. "Okay, we will." Sam gently touched the woman's hand as she smiled at her. "Thank you."

The woman squeezed Sam's hand as she looked up at Teal'c. "Is anyone coming?"

Teal'c quickly looked through the window. "No one" he answered.

The woman gave them a gentle smile, then quietly opened the door and quickly closed it behind her.

Daniel looked at Sam. "How long should we wait?"

Sam looked at her watch. "Let's wait about an hour. Maybe everyone will be asleep by then."

The team sat down and soon there was moonlight coming through the window of the door.

Sam was getting a headache so she grabbed her backpack to get her flashlight. As she searched for some medicine, she found something else. She pulled her hand out to see a match. She found the medicine, took a sip of water to wash it down, then sat back down beside Teal'c and Daniel.

Sam held up the match for Teal'c and Daniel to see.

"I have an idea. We'll set this building on fire when we leave. I don't really like burning down a building, but I don't want anyone to suspect that the woman helped us. This way, maybe no one will ever know how we escaped exactly."

"I concur" Teal'c agreed.

Daniel nodded his head in agreement.

**§§§**

Jack stood staring at the stargate. SG-1 was long overdue for their check-in. He had tried to raise them on their radios but could not get an answer. He had sent a MALP but found it was now dark on the planet and there were no signs of life around the stargate. The only thing he could do was wait. He would send another MALP when it was daylight and try to reach them again by radio. If he could not make contact this time, he would send a rescue team.

He climbed the stairs to his office and rubbed his tired eyes as he sat down at his desk.

An airman came to the door and knocked and Jack looked up to see who it was.

"Sir, there's a call for Colonel Carter."

"Who is it?"

"Pete Shanahan. He sounds upset, sir."

Jack took a deep breath. The last person he wanted to talk to was Pete.

"Put him through."

"Yes, sir."

The airman hurried away and in a few moments his phone rang. He stared at the phone and let it ring several times before answering.

"O'Neill."

"O'Neill, it's Pete Shanahan."

"Yes?" he answered sharply.

"Where's Sam?" he said in an angry voice. "We were supposed to meet with the caterer and I can't reach her."

"The team is off-world."

"When will she be back?"

"I don't know. You should already know that they can't always predict how long they'll be gone."

"You tell her to call me the moment she gets back."

"Got it." Jack hung up before Pete could say anything else and stared at the phone. "Idiot. I just don't understand what you see in this man, Sam" he mumbled to himself.

**§§§**

Teal'c looked out the window of the door and saw that there were no people around. "I think now would be an appropriate time to depart."

Sam looked at her teammates. "Let's be as quiet as possible and once we're outside, stay in the shadows so we won't be seen."

Daniel attached his GDO to his arm so he would have it ready when they reached the gate. He and Teal'c got out their flashlights and they all put on their backpacks.

Sam opened the door and looked around outside, then motioned for Teal'c and Daniel to go as she struck the match. It ignited and she set it on a big pile of hay, then closed the door.

Daniel and Teal'c were waiting for her around the side of the building and the moonlight gave them some light to see by. They started running toward the stargate and waited until they were a few hundred feet down the path before turning on their flashlights.

Teal'c quickly glanced back and could see through the planks of the building that the fire was growing in intensity.

They could hear shouting as the people realized that the building was on fire.

"We must hurry" Teal'c said.

Suddenly, there were men chasing them.

They were almost to the gate when a shot rang out and then another. Daniel stopped at the DHD to quickly dial home and the stargate engaged. He punched in the iris code, ran up the steps and went through. Teal'c and Sam ran side by side up the steps. One last shot was fired, hitting Sam and knocking her down. As she fell, the back of her head hit the edge of a step. Teal'c quickly picked her up and stepped through the gate.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Jack came running from his office as an incoming wormhole was announced. He stood in the control room and waited.

Walter looked up at him. "It's SG-1's code, sir."

"Open the iris."

Jack ran downstairs to see Daniel come through, then Teal'c carrying Sam. He came down the ramp and headed to the infirmary.

"Is she okay?" Jack asked, fear rising in his heart.

"She has been shot, O'Neill."

Teal'c lay Sam down on a bed and Dr. Brightman and her staff went to work.

"Why was she shot?"

Daniel took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "We ran into some people who were about to sell us into slavery."

Jack's eyebrows shot up. "Slavery?"

Daniel nodded.

**§§§**

After Daniel and Teal'c had their post-mission checks and had showered, they sat waiting outside the infirmary with Jack. As they waited, Teal'c and Daniel gave Jack the whole story of what happened. Daniel finished by saying that he hoped no one on the planet would suspect that the woman had helped them escape.

Dr. Brightman came through the door and removed the surgical mask from her face. "She was shot on the side of her thigh. The good news is the bullet missed the bone. She also has a bump on her head that will be a little tender for a few days and will give her a headache, but she'll be okay. A day or two of rest, then I'll let her go home."

Jack nodded his head. "Thanks."

**§§§**

A few hours later, Jack came into the infirmary to see Sam lying on her back, staring at the ceiling.

"How ya doin'?"

"Okay, sir."

"How many times have I told you not to get shot, Carter?" he teased her.

Sam smiled. "Apparently, I wasn't listening" she bantered back.

Jack lay his hand on her arm. "Glad to know you're okay."

"I'll be back at work before you know it, sir."

Jack held up his hand. "Not until Doc Brightman gives you the all clear. You need to rest and heal."

"Yes, sir."

"Doc says you can go home in a day or two."

Jack saw Sam's expression change. Maybe she didn't want to go home. Maybe she didn't want to see Pete, and then he thought about Pete's phone call. He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked at the floor.

"Oh uh, Pete called while you were off-world."

"He did?"

"He was upset because he couldn't get in touch with you. Said you had an appointment with the caterer."

Sam took a deep breath. "I forgot. Thank you for telling me, sir."

Sam paused for a moment. "Since I can't get up and cell phones don't work here in the Mountain, could I get you to call Pete for me please, and let him know I'm back?"

Jack stared at her for a few moments. "Sure."

"If you'll get a piece of paper, sir, I'll write down the number."

Jack looked around and found a pad of paper and a pen on one of the bedside tables and handed them to Sam, and watched as she scribbled down the number. She tore off the piece of paper and handed it to him. "Thank you, sir."

Jack took the piece of paper and stuck it in his pocket. "I'll check with you later."

"Yes, sir."

Jack went back to his office and sat down. He didn't want to make this call, but he took a deep breath and dialed the number.

Their conversation lasted only long enough to give Pete the briefest details. Pete said he would come to see Sam when she came home.

Just as Jack hung up the phone, Daniel walked in, closed the door and sat down.

"You okay?" Daniel asked as he noticed the look on Jack's face.

"Just got off the phone with Shanahan, he called here while you were gone. He and Carter had an appointment with the caterer and since he couldn't get in touch with her, he wanted to talk to me and demanded to know where she was. Sam asked me to call him to let him know she's back."

"I see. I wanted to talk to you about him."

"Oh?"

"While we were locked in the building on the planet, I asked Sam how the wedding planning was going and I told her every time I bring it up, she doesn't want to discuss it. I told her she didn't seem too happy about the wedding."

"And?"

"I told her if she was having doubts, that maybe she should call it off or postpone it. I told her that I didn't think Pete was right for her."

"What did she say?"

"Nothing. She was sitting beside me when I told her and she stood up to look out the window of the door of the building they were holding us in. Neither one of us mentioned it again."

Jack looked down at his hands and shook his head.

Daniel set up straighter in his chair. "Look, I think she's really having a lot of doubts about this, and if Pete did cause the bruise on her wrist, then maybe she's seriously considering calling the whole thing off."

"Maybe she's afraid he'll get violent again if she tells him there isn't going to be a wedding."

"Jack, no woman wants to live with physical abuse from a man who is supposed to love her. The sooner you let her know how you feel about her, the sooner she'll break the engagement. I'm sure of it."

Jack started to open his mouth to say something but Daniel held up his hand.

"I know you have to consider the regulations. But I don't want to see her hurt any more. You telling her how you feel about her is the best way to get Pete out of her life completely."

Daniel stood up, opened the door and walked out.

Jack breathed a deep sigh as he ran his hand over his face.

**§§§**

Dr. Brightman released Sam to go home but with strict instructions that she was to take it easy. Daniel volunteered to drive her home.

Jack came into the infirmary just as Daniel rolled a wheelchair up to Sam's bed.

"Is this really necessary?" Sam asked the doctor. "I can walk on my own."

Dr. Brightman handed Sam a bottle of medicine for pain and a walking cane. "I want you to stay off that leg as much as possible for now."

"Don't argue with the Doctor, Colonel" Jack said with a grin.

"Yes, sir" Sam whispered as she sat down in the wheelchair.

Jack wanted to be sure she would be okay. "Do you need someone to stay with you?"

He saw the slight wince on her face as she looked down at her hands. "I'll call Pete to let him know I'm home. He'll probably want to stay."

Daniel glanced at Jack as he started to push the wheelchair. "Well, let's get going."

Jack walked with Daniel and Sam down the corridor.

"How's the head?" Jack asked.

Sam looked up at him. "Hurts a little."

When the doors to the elevator opened, he watched as they got on the elevator.

"Take care of yourself."

"I will, sir."

Jack watched the doors close and went back to his office.

**§§§**

Daniel and Sam arrived at her house and he helped her out of the car as she leaned on her cane.

She slowly walked up the sidewalk and into the house as Daniel followed. She unlocked the door and they went inside.

He watched as Sam sat down on the sofa and laid the cane down beside her.

"Do you have enough food?"

"I have a little."

Daniel checked the refrigerator, then found a note pad and pen and handed them to Sam. "Make a list of what you need and I'll go to the store for you."

Sam did as he asked.

"Will you be okay by yourself?"

"Sure" she said with a grin.

Sam got her cell phone from her purse and stared at it. She thought she should probably let Pete know that she was home so she dialed his number.

The phone rang a few times. "Shanahan."

"Hi, it's me."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. Daniel drove me home. He has gone to get groceries."

"Okay. I'll be by after I get off work around six. I'll bring us something to eat."

"See you then."

She hung up the phone, slowly lifted her injured leg and lay back on the sofa. She turned her head and one of the pictures on the mantle caught her eye, a picture of SG-1, taken the first month they had worked together. They were sitting around the conference room table. Jack's hair was brown then, Daniel's hair was longer and Teal'c had that serious expression. Since the picture had been taken, they had all gone through so many changes, physically and otherwise. Jack had been promoted to base commander. Daniel had lost Sha're and had gotten more involved in his work, perhaps keeping busy so he wouldn't think about how much he missed her. Teal'c's wife had died and Rya'c had married. She had lost her dad. She stared at herself in the picture and could tell how much she had aged, and gone was the naïve young woman she had been back then. Every time that she, Daniel and Teal'c now went through the gate, she wished that Jack was still there with them, leading the team and making wise cracks about the aliens they encountered. Having him there always made her feel safer, because she knew he always watched their backs.

She slowly closed her eyes and the next thing she knew she heard someone open the door. She raised up from the sofa and watched as Daniel came in carrying two bags of groceries.

"Be right back." He returned to his car, then came back in carrying two more bags and kicked the door closed.

Sam grinned. "Looks like you got enough."

"I threw in some other stuff in case people drop by and you want something to snack on."

"Thanks."

After he put away the food, he sat down beside her and she turned to look at him.

"You know, I don't say it often enough, but you really are a great friend."

Daniel grinned. "Anything for you, Sam." He quickly kissed her on the cheek. "You know, if I'd had a sister, I would have wanted her to be just like you."

"Thanks. I'm closer to you than I am Mark, sad to say."

"Too bad Mark doesn't know about the stargate, maybe he would understand a little better why you love your job so much."

"Maybe he will if the stargate ever goes public."

"Do you need me to stay tonight?"

"No thanks. I called Pete and he'll be here after he gets off work. If you need to get back to the Mountain, I'll be fine until he gets here."

Daniel looked at his watch. "Well, I'll be by tomorrow. Need anything before I go?"

"No."

Daniel started to stand up but she grabbed his arm.

"Daniel?"

He turned to look at her.

"Did you really mean it, what you said back there on the planet, about Pete not being the right man for me?"

He sat back on the sofa. "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything."

Sam turned sideways to face him. "You're my friend and you know me very well. I want you to be honest and your opinion matters to me."

He looked into her eyes. "No, I don't think Pete is right for you, he's a very controlling man. It seems to me that he's slowly taking away your independence. I don't think you're being honest with yourself. I think there is someone you love much more than Pete."

She bit her lip and stared at her hands as she uttered "Jack."

"Yes, Jack. He loves you, Sam. He loves you enough to let you marry Pete if that's what you really want, but is it?"

Tears filled her eyes. "We can't be together."

Daniel took her hands in his. "If you really want this, you can work it out. Jack is miserable. He tries to hide it when you're around, but you don't see the look on his face when you mention Pete's name or the wedding. You don't see the way he stares at you with such love in his eyes that it even hurts me to see it. He's crazy about you, he has been for a very long time. Teal'c and I watched you two become friends. That friendship has grown into a deep trust between you and that trust and friendship have grown into love over the years. I don't see that between you and Pete."

"Has he told you that he loves me?"

"Yes."

Sam started to cry as Daniel let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her. In a few minutes she leaned back from him.

"I don't know what to do."

"I just gave you my opinion and I confirmed how Jack feels about you. What you do with this information is up to you."

Daniel gave her a hug then stood up to leave. "I'll see you later."

"Thanks. For everything."

He smiled at her. "You're welcome."

Sam watched Daniel leave, then she started to think about what he had said. She had to admit that deep in her heart, she knew she was in love with Jack. But if they acknowledged those feelings to each other, what could they really do about them? Would he resign? Would she resign? Could they talk with General Hammond and the President and work out some arrangement so that they could both stay with the Air Force?

Her head hurt and she realized how tired she was, so she lay down on the sofa.

She awoke when she heard someone coming through the door. She opened her eyes to see Pete smiling at her, holding a pizza box in his hands.

As she looked at him, the first thought that came to mind was 'Sam, what are you doing? You know this is wrong.' She tried to smile at him but felt it came out as a grimace.

Pete set the pizza down on the counter, then sat down beside her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hi babe."

Sam cringed. "Please don't call me that."

Pete frowned. "I thought you liked it."

"No, I don't."

"Okay."

Sam took a deep breath. "I'm tired, Pete, and my head hurts. I think I'll go lie down."

"But I brought your favorite pizza."

"I'll eat it later." Sam got her cane and pushed herself off the sofa and grabbed her bottle of pills. She hurried as fast as she could to the bedroom as Pete stared at her for a few seconds then followed her.

"Are you sure you're just tired? You don't seem too happy to see me."

Sam pulled back the cover on the bed and turned to look at him. "Pete, I've had a very bad couple of days. Daniel, Teal'c and I were locked up on another planet. After we escaped, we were running toward the stargate when I got shot and hit my head. My leg hurts and my head is throbbing. I really don't feel like talking. I just need to rest."

"The least you could have done was give me a kiss when I got here."

Sam couldn't look at him as she sat down on the side of her bed. "I'm sorry. We'll talk tomorrow. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get some sleep."

Pete clinched his fists. "And I suppose you want me to sleep in the guest room?"

"I would appreciate it."

"Fine" he said angrily as he stormed out of the room.

Sam closed her eyes and sat there for a few moments just trying to calm her jittery nerves. She stood and changed into her pajamas, swallowed a pill with some water, turned off the lamp and got into bed. Her thoughts went back to her conversation with Daniel. Jack loved her. The tears came again as she wished that Jack was lying there beside her, holding her in his arms. She realized what a mess she had made, all in her attempt to have a life outside of work. As she lay there, she knew that even if things could not work out with Jack, she was going to have to break the engagement.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Jack. I love you too" she whispered. "Can you ever forgive me for hurting you so?"

She buried her face in the pillow so Pete wouldn't hear her crying.

The next morning Sam awoke with pain in her leg and she still had a slight headache. She glanced at the clock and was surprised to see how late it was. She threw back the cover, set up in bed, and started to stand but realized she was a little dizzy from the bump on her head. She sat there for a moment, then slowly stood to take a quick shower. When she had finished she applied a new bandage to her leg, got dressed and took another pill.

She got her cane and limped into the kitchen to find Pete sitting at the bar and reading a newspaper.

"Hi."

"Hey" Sam said softly as she slowly sat down on the bar stool beside him. She knew this wasn't going to be easy but the sooner she did this, the situation would be better for everyone concerned.

"I need to talk to you."

Pete turned to her and his eyes narrowed. "This doesn't sound good."

Sam took a deep breath.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking and I think it's best that we call off the engagement."

Pete stared at her and Sam could see the anger in his eyes.

"What? Call off the engagement? I don't think so!"

Pete suddenly stood up and towered over her. He grabbed her by the upper arms and pulled her to her feet and shouted into her face.

"You listen to me, Samantha! We are not breaking this engagement! I love you and no other man is going to have you!"

The pain in her leg and head increased. She yanked her arms away from his grip and tried to back away but stumbled over the stool. Pete grabbed her again and spun her around to face him and shoved her to the floor. Sam raised herself up on her elbows, feeling dizzy as if she were about to pass out. She looked up at Pete, almost in shock at what he had done.

Pete could see how frightened she was as tears came to his eyes. "Oh, Sam. I'm sorry. I . . . I didn't mean to do that. Please forgive me."

Sam pushed herself to her feet and held on to the bar stool. "How dare you! Get out!" Sam clinched her fists and took a step toward him.

Pete reached out to touch her. "I'm sorry, Sam."

Sam was so angry she was trembling and she slapped his hand away with the back of her hand. "I said get out! Get out of my house! Don't you ever come near me again!"

Pete stared at her in disbelief at what he had done as he opened the door and looked at her for a few seconds, then closed the door behind him.

Her leg and head were really throbbing and her arms were hurting where Pete had gripped her so tightly. She stumbled to the bathroom and gulped down some water, then sat down on the side of the bathtub. She sat there for several minutes, trying to calm herself and process what had just happened.

The doorbell rang.

She realized that she had not locked the front door and thought that if it was Pete coming back, he wouldn't bother to ring the doorbell and would come barging in. But she wasn't sure.

She stood up and leaned against the bathroom door, waited a minute and slowly opened it. Then she heard the familiar voice she knew so well.

"Carter. You home?"

Sam hurried to the front door and opened it. They looked at each other and Jack's eyes widened as he could see that she was crying and frightened.

"What's wrong?"

He put his arm around her waist and helped her to the sofa. Through her tears she told him that she had tried to break off the engagement and Pete had gotten violent with her, but Jack interrupted before she could tell him that she called off the wedding because of him.

"You need to report this."

She put her hand on his. "No, Jack."

"What do you mean 'no?'"

"I'll handle this."

Jack stood up and stared at her. "You're not going to do anything about this? I can hardly believe what I'm hearing!"

"Jack, please."

He could no longer hold in all the hurt he had been feeling since Sam and Pete had gotten engaged.

"No! For once in my life I'm going to say what I feel. I love you, Sam. I have since the day I met you and after the zatarc test, I thought you felt the same way. But apparently I was wrong or you gave up on us. I know we've both had to wait a long time, but I always felt it was worth it. But you got engaged to this moron who doesn't trust you, bought a house without discussing it with you first, doesn't listen to your opinions, has no respect for your career, expects you to quit your job and gets violent with you. But go ahead, let him walk all over you and treat you like dirt, when you could have been with someone who loves you more than you can imagine!"

Jack felt anger, hurt and frustration as he hurried toward the door.

Sam pushed herself off the sofa, ran to him and grabbed his arm.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner that you love me?"

"I thought you already knew! You found out years ago, but I guess you didn't listen!"

"I did listen!"

"You wanted to keep it in that room!"

"I was protecting both of our careers! Please Jack, don't go! You don't understand! You didn't let me finish!"

Tears stung his eyes as he looked into hers. "It's too late" he whispered. He opened the door and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

She stared at the door, then slowly limped back to the sofa and sat down as tears ran down her face. She spent the rest of the day thinking about her involvement with Pete and how much she had hurt Jack.

When night came, she went into the bedroom, opened a dresser drawer and picked up a picture that Daniel had given her a few years ago, a picture of Jack and herself. In the picture, they were smiling at each other. She stared at Jack for a long time before placing the picture back in the drawer. Every time she thought about what Jack had said, that it was too late for them, she would start to cry again.

She lay down on the bed and berated herself for hurting the one man that she truly loved.

She closed her eyes but sleep would not come, so she lay very still, staring into the darkness.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Daniel come by early the next morning to check on Sam and thought Pete would be there but didn't see his car. He knocked a few times but she didn't answer. He didn't know why, but he began to get a bad feeling that something was wrong. Several years ago, he, Sam, Jack and Teal'c had exchanged house keys in case of an emergency, but before trying to find her key on his key ring, he tried the door knob to see if the door might be open. It was. He knew that Sam was very safety conscious and would not usually leave the front door unlocked.

He took two steps inside, looked around and called her name. When she didn't answer he walked down the hall and looked in the kitchen and living room. He peeked around the door to her bedroom to see her sitting on the side of the bed, staring at the wall. He sat down beside her and gently touched her hand as she slowly turned her head and he took a close look at her.

She was very pale. Her clothes were rumpled, her hair was a mess and there were tears in her eyes. She stared at him for a few seconds then began to sob. Daniel pulled her to him as she laid her forehead on his chest. The sobbing increased so much that she could hardly breathe.

"Sam, what happened?"

Daniel rocked her back and forth. She finally caught her breath as she began to speak.

"I broke off the engagement with Pete and he got mad and shoved me to the floor and I told him to leave. Jack came by and wanted me to report what happened but when I told him I would handle it, he got upset. He didn't give me a chance to tell him that I was breaking the engagement because of him. He said he loved me, but now he doesn't want me any more. The best thing to ever happen to me and I pushed him away. And for what? So I could end up with someone who abused me? I knew all these years that he cared about me and I never did anything about it. We could have been together, and when I finally realize how much I love him, he pushes me away and now he hates me. I hurt him so badly. I've lost him for good and he'll never forgive me. I could have had him and I missed the chance. God help me, I've been such a fool!"

She clung to him as she sobbed.

He held her until she was just sniffling and she slumped against him. He pushed her back from him and she curled up on her side as she tried to stop crying. There was a blanket on the chair next to the bed, so he picked it up and put it over her.

She wiped her eyes, then closed them. Daniel thought he would just let her rest instead of trying to talk to her.

He started to wonder if Jack was okay but he didn't want to leave Sam alone to go find out. He went into the kitchen, pulled out his cell phone and punched a number.

"Hello."

"Teal'c, it's Daniel."

"What can I do for you Daniel Jackson?"

"I'm at Sam's house and I need you to come here immediately."

Teal'c knew by the tone of Daniel's voice that something was wrong. "I will come at once."

Daniel went back to stay with Sam. He wished at this moment that Janet was still alive. She had been Sam's best friend and doctor and would know what to do better than he did.

He sat down beside her and held her hand.

Teal'c soon arrived and didn't bother to knock but entered the house to find Daniel with Sam in her bedroom. "What has transpired?"

They went into the hall and Daniel whispered as he told him what Sam had said.

"Should we call O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

"Should we take her to the infirmary?"

"I don't think that's a good idea either. Too much gossip."

"So what action should we take?"

Daniel tried to think. "I need to go see if Jack's okay. Can you stay with her?"

"Indeed."

Daniel ran to his car, quickly drove to Jack's house and was relieved to see that his truck was there. He ran up the sidewalk and knocked several times, then checked to see if the door was locked. It was so he knocked louder. The door finally opened and there stood Jack.

"Oh dear God" Daniel mumbled as he stared at his friend. He looked as bad as Sam. Daniel entered, closed the door and put his arms around him. In all the years he had known Jack, he had never seen him cry but now his eyes were red and he looked haggard. Daniel was very certain he hadn't slept and he smelled of alcohol.

Daniel led him to the sofa and they sat down. "I found Sam a little while ago. She's a mess, Jack. I've never seen her so upset."

Jack leaned over and rested his elbows on his knees as he ran his hands through his hair. Tears ran down his face and Daniel put his arm around his shoulder.

"Talk to me."

Jack stared at the floor. When Daniel saw that he wasn't going to say anything, he continued.

"When I found Sam, she was sitting on the side of the bed just staring into space as if she were in shock. She was very pale. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot from crying. Her hair was messy. She started sobbing, saying that she was such a fool and that she had lost you for good, just when she realized how much she loves you. You didn't give her a chance to tell you that she broke the engagement because of you."

Jack stood up, walked over to the window, and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"It's too late for us, Daniel. Too much water under the bridge." Jack wiped his eyes. "She never gave us a chance. All these years I kept hoping . . ."

Daniel waited to see if he would continue. Jack stood there for a few moments, then sat back down on the sofa and Daniel placed his hand on Jack's shoulder.

"You two are desperately in love with each other; you've got to work this out. You're both miserable. If there are two people in this whole world who should be together, it's you and Sam. She doesn't love Pete, Jack, she never did. She just wanted to have a normal life and when she couldn't have that life with you, she turned to the first man outside the Air Force who paid attention to her. Unfortunately it was Pete, but it made Sam realize how important you really are to her. She realizes how much she loves you and she's truly sorry that she hurt you."

"She had my heart years ago, Daniel, and she knew it."

Daniel nodded his head. "The zatarc test."

Jack sighed as he wiped his eyes again.

"Jack, you should have set her down after the zatarc test and told her how you feel. I know that she was the one who thought your confessions should stay in the room. She thought it would lead to court martial if word got out. She thought she was protecting your career, Jack. But maybe if you had made the effort to just talk to her and tell her how much you love her, you could have found a way around the regulations years ago. As valuable as both of you are to the stargate program, General Hammond and the President would probably have worked with you to come to some kind of arrangement. General Hammond hasn't been blind to your feelings for each other all these years, he realized a long time ago the attraction between you."

Jack stared at the floor.

"Neither you or Sam is very open with your feelings, you don't communicate very well with each other in circumstances like this. You can talk to each other all day long when it concerns your jobs, but when it comes to the two of you, you're very shy around each other. You both need to get over that shyness. I also think that part of it is your years of black ops and that stiff upper lip mentality that the military drilled into you and Sam; always putting your careers first and never dealing with your emotions. You have to get beyond these feelings of anger and hurt and really talk to each other. Do you really want to be miserable and live the rest of your life without her?"

Jack hesitated a moment, then shook his head.

"And she doesn't want to live without you."

Daniel decided to stop talking and give Jack a chance to vent. He watched as Jack walked over to the window again and stood with his shoulders slumped. He looked so defeated.

"I can't take much more, Daniel. All by myself, I've tried to deal with Charlie's death, Sara leaving, the time I was imprisoned and tortured in Iraq, being snaked by Kanan, being tortured by Ba'al, and all those other times I've been sick or injured. You, Sam and Teal'c became my family and Sam was always the bright spot in my life. So many times, she is what kept me going. I kept hoping that she would say or do something to let me know if she felt anything for me."

"She did. The zatarc test proved it. You should have discussed it that day. Yes, I know Martouf had just died and Sam was upset. He was her friend and she was the one that took his life."

Jack turned around to face him. "I know that. That's why I didn't mention the zatarc test to her the day it happened; I thought I'd give her some space. But then I kept putting it off and nothing was done. You don't know how many times I've regretted not saying something."

"Now is your chance. Talk to her. Tell her it isn't too late. If Pete has any sense, he'll never come near Sam again. He'll stay as far away from her, and you, as he can."

Daniel paused as he watched Jack rub his fingers over his eyes.

"I'm not making light of how much you've been hurt by their engagement, or everything else you've been through. Speaking from experience, you have to let go of the past and not let all this hurt eat you alive. I could have stayed mad at Teal'c when he killed Sha're, but I chose to forgive him and now he's a very close friend. Jack, I know you're not a person who forgives easily and I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but you and Sam can still work this out and have a great future together. She knows it's over with Pete and you aren't with Kerry any more."

Daniel stood, came to Jack and put his hands on his shoulders. He turned him so he had to look at him. "I will never get another chance with Sha're" he said as tears came to his eyes. "But you and Sam have this chance and now is the perfect opportunity. Eight years is long enough, don't you think? Don't put this off any longer."

Jack ran his hand over the back of his neck as Daniel waited patiently for him to decide what he wanted to do.

"I need to shower and change. Then we'll go check on Sam, but I'm not promising anything. She hurt me, Daniel, and I'm not sure if there is anything left to salvage."

Daniel nodded his head. "I understand."

**§§§**

Teal'c entered Sam's bedroom and clasped his hands behind him. "Colonel Carter, may I get you anything?"

She set up and looked at him. "A glass of water please. My leg hurts and I need to take my medicine."

Teal'c returned with a glass of water and handed it to her. She took the pill and drank half the water, then set the glass down on the nightstand. She pushed herself back and put a pillow behind her so she could lean against the headboard.

Teal'c sat down in the chair beside her and paused for a few moments. "Matters of the heart are most difficult."

Tears came to Sam's eyes.

"It has been my observation in many instances over the years, that O'Neill cares deeply for you and you for him. It is my hope that the two of you will find a way to put aside your past disappointments and search for a way to be together. You both deserve a chance at happiness."

"I don't know if it's possible. I really hurt him" she whispered as she wiped her eyes.

Teal'c sat up on the edge of the chair and gently took Sam's hand between both of his. "If being together is what you both truly want, you will find a way."

**§§§**

After Jack showered and changed clothes, he and Daniel got into the car. Daniel glanced at Jack several times as he looked out the window.

"Jack?"

Jack turned his head and looked at him.

"I know you're not big on talking, but any time you need someone to talk to, I'm always available. Whether it's about Charlie, or Sara, or Sam, or work or whatever, you don't have to face life alone. I'm always here for you."

Jack grinned. "Thanks. I'll try to remember that."

When they arrived, Daniel turned off the ignition. Jack sat there, working up the courage to go inside.

"Come on" Daniel said as he stepped out of the car.

They walked into the house to see Teal'c making coffee.

"How is she?" Daniel asked.

"A small amount of improvement."

Daniel and Teal'c watched as Jack entered Sam's bedroom and closed the door.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Sam was lying down when she heard the door close and turned her head to see who it was. She gasped when she saw that it was Jack.

He slowly walked up beside her and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Hey Carter" he said softly. "I mean . . . Sam."

Sam looked up at him wondering why he was here.

Jack sat down beside her and after several moments, slowly reached for her hand. It felt cold and fragile. He cleared his throat. "I think we have a lot to talk about."

She grasped his hand. "I didn't think you'd want to speak to me ever again after the way I've treated you. I know you're hurt, Jack, and it's all my fault."

Jack looked at the floor. "Not completely."

Sam let go of his hand, pushed herself up, and leaned against the headboard. They both sat in silence for a few moments.

"Pete was a mistake, Jack, the biggest mistake I've ever made in my life."

Jack turned to face her. "May I ask what you saw in him in the first place?"

She hesitated as she looked at her hands. "A chance for a life outside of work. At first, he was funny, charming, brought me flowers. Do you know how long it had been since I'd been treated like a woman instead of a soldier?"

She gripped the blanket as tears pooled in her eyes.

"He showered me with attention. We had some good times together, but I should have put an end to it when we found out he did a background check on me. I knew he didn't trust me and I guess I just wanted to be in a relationship so badly that I chose to overlook it." Sam shook her head and sighed. "In case you haven't noticed, Jack, I'm the world's biggest fool when it comes to relationships."

Jack started to say something but Sam held up her hand to continue.

"Please, let me say what I want to say. I got involved with Jonas Hansen and we all know how well that turned out" she said with a self-depreciating laugh. "Then there were all the men who ended up dead and I became the laughing stock of the SGC. They call me the 'black widow.'"

Jack had heard the gossip and knew what she meant.

"Didn't think I knew about that did you?" she said with hurt in her eyes. "Every guy that's ever been interested in me is a nut case or ends up dead." She paused for a moment. "Let's see, there was Jonas, Pete, Narim, Orlin, Joe, Martouf, and maybe others that I can't remember right now."

Jack squeezed her arm. "You can't blame yourself for what happened with them."

Sam wiped her eyes. "Oh really? Well, let's just consider . . . Pete was a lot like Jonas. At first, they were charming and considerate, then they became obsessive and abusive. It took me awhile to find out what they were both really like. How could I have been so naïve? Then there was Narim. A nice guy and he liked me a lot, but he died. Orlin was sweet but . . . Joe was just getting interested and saved my life when he stayed behind on the harvester when we were on the Volien planet, and he died. Then there was Martouf and we know how that ended."

Jack wasn't sure what to say to make her feel better.

"Last night I was lying here in the dark thinking about other peoples' lives. I see them happy, married, with kids, and I think, what's wrong with me? Maybe I really am the black widow. Maybe I'm cursed or doomed to failure. Maybe I'm not meant to be happy in that way. I'm almost 40 years old, Jack, and not once in my entire adult life have I had a stable romantic relationship."

She paused for a moment, then tears filled her eyes once more.

"And the one man that has come to mean so much to me over the years, the one that I've come to love with all my heart, the one that I trust more than anyone else, the one that means more to me than any other man in this world, is the one I end up hurting the most, just because of my stupidity. I guess the cliché is true, that you always hurt the one you love. I never really knew what that meant until now."

Sam put her hand over her eyes as she tried not to cry.

They sat there for several moments, neither one really knowing what to say.

Jack looked out the window. "So many things have happened in my life, Sam, I guess I feel I don't deserve to be happy. My only child died from my own carelessness. I destroyed my marriage because of my refusal to share with Sara the pain of losing our son and I hurt her."

Jack glanced at her then looked back out the window.

"From the moment we met, I was attracted to you. That day in the briefing room, you stood up to me and I respected that. After Sara left, I didn't think I'd ever love someone again, but I fell for you pretty fast. As we got to know each other and the longer we worked together, I couldn't imagine not getting to see you every day. As I told Daniel, you became the bright spot in my life. Then came the zatarc test and we just swept it under the rug and didn't deal with it."

He paused and Sam waited for him to continue.

"When you showed me the engagement ring in your lab that day, I wanted to pull you to your feet and just shake some sense into you."

"Why didn't you?"

Jack looked into her eyes. "I guess I felt you had made your choice and I gave up trying. It didn't seem to matter any more. I thought we'd had our chance but we never took it and it was too late. Besides, I wanted you to be happy."

"I wanted you to say something, Jack. I wanted you to stop me. Four years had passed since the zatarc test and I was unsure if I still meant anything to you." She stopped to wipe her eyes. "When you walked out of my lab that day, I felt numb. I thought that you didn't really care one way or the other if I married Pete. I felt if you really loved me, you would have at least made the effort to let me know how you felt."

"In case you haven't noticed, Sam, I'm not one for talking about my feelings."

"You're doing pretty well right now."

"Yeah, well, I'm trying because I know this should have been said a long time ago."

Sam sighed. "One of my biggest regrets were all those times you asked me to go fishing. I really did want to go, but I didn't trust myself to be alone with you. I knew that if we were there, alone and away from everybody, that we might have . . . believe me, if I had it to do over again, I would have accepted the first time you asked."

They looked into each other's eyes and Jack started to smile.

"Wanna go fishin', Carter?"

Sam chuckled, then started to cry and Jack moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her as they held tightly to each other.

"We'll work this out, Sam. I promise."

Jack leaned back and wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs.

"I . . . I want to say something to you."

She nodded her head.

"Don't take all the blame for this because part of it was certainly my own fault. After the zatarc test, I came so close to setting you down and telling you that I didn't want us to have to hide our feelings; that whatever it took, I would do it."

Sam bit her lip as she tried not to cry.

"Not saying that to you then was a huge mistake and I'm sorry. I just kept putting it off and thought that eventually after we had defeated the Goa'uld, that I would resign so we could be together. I wasn't about to ask you to leave the Air Force when you had such a bright career ahead of you. Then the years passed and you met Pete."

He suddenly stood up, went to the window and stuck his hands in his pockets.

Sam threw back the blanket, slid off the bed and came to stand beside him. She put her hands on his shoulders and turned him to face her. They looked into each other's eyes as he put his arms around her. She slid her arms around his waist and laid her forehead on his chest. Tears came to Jack's eyes as Sam began to cry.

They stood that way for several minutes, then Jack let go. Sam wiped the tears from her cheeks as he took her hand and they sat back down on the bed.

"I hope it isn't too late for us. Can you ever forgive me for hurting you?"

Jack smiled. "I'll forgive you for Pete if you'll forgive me for not talking to you sooner about this."

Jack brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, then put his hand on the side of her face as he gazed into her eyes. "So what do you say we take things slowly? I know we've had eight years to get it right, but we haven't. You've been hurt. I've been hurt. Let's work on putting this behind us."

"It's going to take awhile to put what happened with Pete behind me, Jack. I feel so guilty for getting involved with him in the first place."

She took a deep breath and tried to keep talking.

"You have been so patient through all of this. You still gave me your friendship, even after I got engaged. You were there for me when Dad died; you've always given me your respect and I don't know if I deserve it."

Just then, they heard a knock at the door.

Sam wiped her eyes. "Come in."

Daniel opened the door and peeked in. "Sorry to interrupt but Teal'c and I thought you might want something to eat. We had food delivered."

"We'll be out in a minute" Jack answered.

"Okay." Daniel closed the door.

Jack took her face in his hands. "Let's give us a chance."

Sam nodded her head. "We'll talk more after they leave."

"Yes, we will." Jack looked around. "Where's your cane?"

Sam had to think for a moment. "I guess I left it in the kitchen."

Jack went to get her cane and brought it back to her.

Daniel and Teal'c sat in Sam's living room, watching television and eating. They helped themselves to the food and joined them.

After they finished, Daniel started the dishwasher and came back into the living room. "We're going to go now and give you some privacy."

Sam stood up, put her arms around Daniel and hugged him, then did the same to Teal'c. "Thanks for your support guys, we really appreciate it."

Daniel smiled. "You're welcome."

Teal'c nodded his head and smiled.

"Thanks for coming to check on me, Daniel, and thanks for the advice" Jack added with a grin.

Daniel patted him on the back, then he and Teal'c walked outside and stopped beside Daniel's car.

Daniel took off his glasses, took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes as they both looked back at the house. "I hope they'll be okay, Teal'c."

Teal'c nodded his head. "I'm confident."

Back in the house, Jack turned to Sam. "We were going to continue our talk."

Sam sat down slowly on the sofa and Jack sat down beside her. "Does your leg hurt?" he asked.

"A little but the medicine helps."

Jack took his hand in hers.

"I've been scared, Jack."

"Of what?"

"Of my feelings for you. As I told you, I've never had a stable relationship. It wasn't long after going through what I went through with Jonas, that I met you. The attraction for you was immediate, but I guess I was scared of getting hurt again, and I felt a relationship with you could only end in disaster since you were my CO. There were the regulations to think about and every time those feelings came, I pushed them away. I also couldn't understand what you would see in me anyway."

Jack frowned.

"I thought you saw me as this geek, just another scientist to tolerate. I thought you put up with me just because General Hammond told you that you had to; that I was on SG-1 because you didn't have any choice and that you really didn't want me there. I tried so hard to prove to you that I could be an asset to the team. I looked forward to coming to work, not just because I loved my job but I knew you would be there. When we got back from Antarctica, I really had to admit to myself how much I was starting to care for you."

Sam swallowed the lump in her throat as she tried to keep talking.

"The first night we were back and in the infirmary, you were asleep in the bed next to me and I lay there watching you. I felt like such a failure. It had never occurred to me that there might be a second gate on Earth."

Jack reached for her hand. "It didn't occur to me either, so stop blaming yourself."

Sam shook her head and continued. "There have been other times that I've doubted myself where you're concerned. So many times, I felt you were way too good for me."

Jack squeezed her hand. "Stop. You didn't feel good enough for me?"

She nodded her head.

"Well, here's a revelation for you. I always thought I wasn't good enough for you. I'm several years older than you and I sometimes wondered what you'd see in cynical, sarcastic me. After all, you're beautiful and have this extremely intelligent brain and half the time I only understand a tenth of what you're talking about."

Sam laughed and it was so good to Jack to see her smile, then his expression grew serious again.

"Are we finally ready to do this, Sam? Can we put all this behind us and work out our differences?"

"I want to. More than anything I've ever wanted in my life."

"Good."

They gazed into each other's eyes, then Jack leaned over and kissed her.

"I love you, Samantha."

Sam smiled. "I love you too, Jack."

Sam moved closer to him and lay her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her.

Sam sighed. "Yesterday and last night, I did a lot of thinking about my career. Even if you hadn't shown up here and we hadn't talked, I had already decided what I want to do."

"And that is?" he hesitantly asked.

"I'm leaving the SGC."

Jack pushed her back from him and put his hands on her shoulders. "No you're not!"

"Just the SGC, Jack, not you."

"I can retire."

"No. The President, the Joint Chiefs and General Hammond wouldn't let you. Everyone at the base respects you and you're a terrific leader. Besides, you know you'd miss the action too much. I've loved my time there, but I'm ready to move on and do something else."

"Such as?"

"You know the lectures I give to the cadets at the Academy?"

Jack nodded his head.

"I love doing that. I love the interaction with those bright young minds. I want to teach science and physics. General Kerrigan has told me several times that all I would have to do is ask, so I'm going to ask. I'm tired of getting injured and tortured. I'm tired of running for my life when we encounter some system lord that only wants us dead. I'm tired of wondering if the next time I step through the gate if I will make it home alive. I'm tired of putting up with men on other planets that have no respect for women. Besides, the SGC has enough qualified scientists to handle all the research."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"If that's what you want, then go for it."

Sam paused a moment and started to grin. "There's something else I'd also like to try."

"And that is?"

"Motherhood. Because of Jolinar, I don't know if it's possible, but I'd like to find out before I get too old."

"You want a baby?" Jack asked with a grin.

"I'd love to have a baby . . . if you're the father."

Jack put his arms around her and hugged her to him.

**Ten months later:**

Jack quietly opened the door to Sam's classroom to see her with her back to her students, writing on a blackboard as she talked. He sat down in one of the few remaining seats in the back row, just as she turned around.

He had run into General Kerrigan in the corridor. According to him, Sam was one of the most popular teachers at the Academy, so the cadets signed up quickly for her classes.

He watched and listened as the cadets gave Sam their undivided attention.

Not long after Sam left the SGC and started teaching, they had married in a simple ceremony with just their closest friends attending. He was still base commander of the SGC and they had never been happier.

A smile lit up his face as his eyes went from her face to her tummy. She looked so pretty in her Air Force maternity uniform. The baby was due in two months.

As he sat there he thought about how far they had come. So much had changed since that day when he had walked into Sam's bedroom to see her lying on her bed, feeling that she had lost him forever. After spending many hours talking, they finally got everything out in the open; how much her engagement had hurt him; her deep regret of her involvement with Pete; his almost waiting too long to tell her that he wanted her permanently in his life.

He remembered the day that Sam had received a letter from Pete, telling her he had moved back to Denver. Pete confessed that he had always been jealous of him, and Pete had suspected from the first time he had seen them together, that they loved each other. Pete had hoped that, in time, Sam would come to love him, but realized too late that it wasn't going to happen. Pete apologized for his behavior the last day he had seen her.

He was brought out of his reverie, as a cadet sitting in front of him raised her hand to ask a question and as Sam acknowledged the young woman, she noticed Jack sitting behind her. A smile quickly flashed across her face as their eyes met and Jack winked at her. Just as Sam finished answering the question, the bell rang, ending her classes for the day.

Jack stood up and waited for the cadets to clear the room, then made his way down the steps toward Sam. As he approached, she grinned at him and he kissed her on the cheek.

"What are you doing here?"

"Wasn't much going on at the Mountain, so I left Reynolds in charge and thought I'd come watch my wife in action. Besides, I missed you."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and gazed into his eyes. "Did you learn anything?"

"Are you kidding? I have no idea what you were talking about with all those little squiggly lines and equations and numbers and letters" he said as he waved toward the blackboard. "It's all Greek to me."

Sam smiled. "Jack, I do know that you know something about physics. If you didn't you couldn't be a pilot."

"I know very little compared to you. It's amazing to me how such a beautiful head can hold so much knowledge."

She kissed him, then suddenly put her hand on her tummy.

"Ouch."

"You okay?"

Sam nodded, then took his hand and placed it on her tummy. Jack held it there for a few moments and he smiled as he felt the baby kick.

Jack hugged her to him as she lay her head on his chest.

"I love you, Samantha."

"I love you too, Jack."

"I thought we might drop by that store you keep telling me about that has all the cute baby stuff."

A smile lit up her face. "Really?"

Jack loved to see the sparkle in her eyes. "Sure. Then after that, we'll stop at that new restaurant on the way home."

Sam kissed him on the cheek. "Okay, just let me get my things."

Jack watched as she stacked some books and papers and put them in her briefcase. She got her purse out of her desk, he picked up her briefcase and they started up the steps.

Jack grinned. "I thought of a name for the baby."

Sam abruptly stopped and turned to him with a look of dread on her face as she put her hand on his arm. "What now?"

"Homer George."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Jack, yesterday it was Homer Daniel. The day before that, it was just plain Homer. You're just determined to name this baby after a cartoon character with a pot belly and only -two hairs on his head!"

"Why not, Sam?" he whined.

"No. We are not naming our child Homer. Can't you imagine all the teasing he'd have to put up with? We might end up being murdered in our sleep by our own son, just because he hates his name. Besides, it may be a girl" she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

Jack grinned. "Homerette?"

Sam started to giggle and shake her head as she kept walking.

They reached the top of the steps and Jack opened the door. "Oh, I've got it" he teased her. "Homeretta?"

"No!"

The End


End file.
